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2006 Chevrolet CorvetteProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 365 owner complaints about the 2006 Chevrolet Corvette, most often about the exterior lighting. It is covered by 5 safety recalls, and for recall 14V-251 the manufacturer reports only 59% of affected cars repaired.

2006 Chevrolet Corvette
22
CarFlaw IndexYear to avoid3.6× the Corvette median · #4 of 40 years by complaints
Safety recalls5Lowest repair rate 59%Owner complaints36519 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage86kExterior lighting, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through December 2, 2025. Updated daily. Photo: Bull-Doser, Public domain.

Complaints by system

Where the 2006 Chevrolet Corvette has problems

365 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Exterior lighting622
Structure593
Fuel/propulsion system490
Steering442
Electrical system441
Electronic stability control (ESC)374
Power train331
Engine241
Service brakes210
16 other systems525

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

5 recalls

2006 Chevrolet Corvette recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

59%repaired · 2016 Q2

Electrical system: wiring

Recall 14V-251 · May 14, 2014 · 103,158 vehicles · 60,772 repaired

Risk. The loss of low beam headlamp illumination will decrease the driver's visibility, as well as the vehicle's conspicuity to other motorists, increasing the risk…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Body: roof and pillars

Recall 06V-181 · May 24, 2006 · 30,793 vehicles

Risk. IF THERE IS A COMPLETE SEPARATION, THE ROOF PANEL MAY DETACH FROM THE VEHICLE AND IT COULD STRIKE ANOTHER VEHICLE AND CAUSE INJURY AND PROPERTY DAMAGE.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Show 1 more recall
–no report yet

Hydraulic power assist: hose, piping, and connections

Recall 05V-455 · Oct 5, 2005 · 123,592 vehicles

Risk. IF THIS WERE TO OCCUR, POWER STEERING ASSIST WOULD BE LOST AND INCREASED STEERING EFFORT WOULD BE REQUIRED.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Chevrolet.

Mileage at failure

When do exterior lighting problems start?

86kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 58 exterior lighting complaints. 69% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
3under 30k miles40under 100k miles18100k miles or more
Best & worst years

2006 vs. every other Corvette year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Corvette median. How we score

'68'69'74'75'76'77'78'79'80'81'84'85'86'87'88'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
NHTSA crash tests

2006 Chevrolet Corvette safety ratings

2006 Chevrolet Corvette 2-DR in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

  • Stability control: Standard
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
4 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2006 Chevrolet Corvette, and the recalls they led to.

  1. Electronic Stability ControlEA09002 · closed May 11, 2010
    Led to recall 10V-172
  2. Simultaneous Loss of Low-Beam HeadlightsEA13007 · closed Jun 24, 2014
    Led to recall 14V-251
  3. ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL MALFUNCTIONPE08056 · closed Jan 14, 2009
    No recall
  4. Loss of Low Beam HeadlightsPE13013 · closed Aug 26, 2013
    No recall
In owners' words

What Corvette owners report

Recent exterior lighting complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

The contact owns a 2006 Chevrolet Corvette. The contact stated while driving at speeds above 25 MPH, the ABS system failed, causing the front brakes to activate without the driver depressing the brake pedal. During the failure the active handling warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken…
Complaint 11545376 · Sep 19, 2023 · 50,000 miles
THE HEADLIGHT COVERS ARE CRAZING OVER WHICH IS MATERIALLY REDUCING THE LIGHT OUTPUT. 1. THE COVERS CANNOT BE POLISHED. NOT ONLY DOES THAT DESTROY THE OUTER COATING, THE CRAZING IS THROUGH-AND-THROUGH. 2. THE COVERS ARE GLUED ON AND CANNOT BE REPLACED BY ANY OFFICIAL MEANS, ALTHOUGH SOME INVENTIVE…
Complaint 10936253 · Dec 19, 2016 · 100,000 miles
MY ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL COMES ON REGULARLY ESPECIALLY WHEN I HIT SAND IN DRIVEWAY AND TIRE SPINS WHICH I EXPECT BUT AT OTHER TIMES THE WARNING LIGHT COMES ON WITHOUT ANY TIRE SPIN OR CONDITION THAT WOULD WARRANT THIS. TURNING FROM A STAND STILL IS ANOTHER TIME THE LIGHTS WILL COME ON…
Complaint 10886040 · Jul 20, 2016 · 87,000 miles

Own a 2006 Corvette?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.